Ryder is doing great! He has gained some weight since being discharged from the hospital. He is having night terrors which is where he starts to cry and shake his head around a lot while still asleep. The pediatrician said that he is not having a nightmare and he has no idea it is even happening. The best thing to do is just to leave him alone and they will slowly pass. He is also having some separation anxiety, but we had known that would probably happen. Everyday is better for him and he is slowly getting back to himself. He is very social and has a big smile, but he still gets overstimulated pretty quickly.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Ryder is doing very good now. He is no longer requiring anything for his respiratory system, he is fully healed from the pneumonia. Today he received his last dose of sedative which is great. He will be discharged on Thursday morning, we are so excited to have him coming home this week. We know it will probably be a hard week or 2 while we all work on getting back into a schedule since both boys have gotten used to being an "only" child for over 3 weeks now.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

This boy has been all over the place in the last 2.5 weeks! On Tuesday he was moved from UMDPeds to Mt. Washington Peds Rehab Center at PG County Hospital to complete his weaning process off of the sedatives he was on. His weaning process will be done May 20 as long as he does not start showing any withdrawal symptoms. We are hopeful he will continue to do well and be able to come home with us soon after the weaning is completed. Ben and I have been going up to visit with him in the evenings while we have somebody else watch Zak for us. Tonight Ben went alone so I could stay home with Zak and tomorrow I will probably go alone. Then we hope to try and take Zak with us Sunday or Monday to see Ryder.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Today they did move Ryder out of the PICU and into a room in the regular Peds unit. He is no longer on oxygen (will go back on if needed), they took out the arterial line, and he has his IV but they are not giving him anything in it right now. He is drinking formula well and doing overall well. They told us that he is on a 10 day weaning process so he will be able to come home around May 20 as long as he continues to do well. They are still discussing whether he will be moved to a rehab facility or stay at UMD.

Lots of things have happened since my last journal entry. Zak also got sick and had to spend 1 night in the Pediatric ER, but he was then sent home on antibiotics, oral steroids, and nebulizer treatments. He is getting better now.

As for Ryder, he spent 11 days on the ventilator and sedated. They were able to grow a bacteria from the mucous in his lung and determine exactly which antibiotic to use. The doctors extubated him yesterday around lunchtime. He now has a nasal cannula that is giving him a little extra oxygen for a bit since he was just taken off the ventilator. We got to feed him and hold him yesterday finally. He was hyper and wide awake because they are slowly weaning him off of the sedation medications. He will be moved from the PICU to the IMC (step down unit) at UMD today. So far he is doing fine breathing on his own which is great! They will need to watch him for a few days to make sure he does not get any swelling from having the tube in his throat for so long. They also said he needs to be slowly weaned from the medications and since he has been on such high doses of them for a while it may take a week or so. If they are ready to discharge him and he is still not fully weaned then he will be transported to Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital Rehab Center where they will finish the weaning process. If this ends up being the case we may try to get him moved to a location closer to home because that hospital is even further away than UMD.

As for me...I have my hernia repair surgery scheduled for June 2. Ben has figured out his work schedule so that he will be able to be home with me and the boys M-F for the first 2 weeks. Tracy will be coming over on the weekends while Ben is working.